Man of the hour: Putin posing for a picture before his departure at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi. — Reuters
As Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Premier Li Qiang wrapped up separate meetings in South-East Asia this week, the two partners in the BRICS economic bloc encountered a region keen to join a group seen as a hedge against Western-led institutions.
Thailand – a US treaty ally – last month announced its bid to join BRICS, named after members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The bloc “represents a south-south cooperative framework which Thailand has long desired to be a part of,” Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa told reporters last week.
